Conscious Media Consumption
We’re talking media consumption today. Let’s start with a scientific finding from Dr. R. Hamilton PhD to set the scene:
“The stress response evolved in humans to give us the ability to fight or flee when faced with danger. Chemicals including cortisol and adrenalin help kick start the body, pushing blood towards the major muscles to give you strength. But the exact same stress response kicks in when you imagine danger, also producing cortisol and adrenalin and pushing blood around the body. The same chemistry is produced regardless of whether the danger is real or imagined. What does all this mean in real life? It means that what you imagine to be happening is actually happening as far as your brain is concerned.”
Keeping those notes in mind, think about what kind of media you consume on a daily basis. Are you watching the news every night before bed or when you wake up? We could go down a rabbit hole with this one, but the news is literally designed to keep us fearful and reliant on the powers that be. Whether or not the world is actually crumbling, the news will make us think we are moments away from death. Click here to read more about that. How about violent video games and shows like Game of Thrones? How about those disturbing docuseries about serial killers that are littering Netflix? Furthermore, what kind of images are you seeing on social media?
I first started to think about the consequences of violent/fear-based media when I binge watched Game of Thrones. Everyone was talking about the show for years, and I had put off watching it for a long time…but I finally decided I wanted to know what everyone was so crazy about! So, I watched the whole series over the course of a few months - about an episode each night. Over that period of time, I watched myself develop serious anxiety, depressive thoughts and overall lethargy. I couldn’t figure it out at first - was it PMS? My diet? Did someone say something hurtful? Then I thought about how much violence and hatred I was consuming on a daily basis with GOT and decided to take a break to test changes in my mental health. Sure enough, my mood improved within two days, I was laughing more, my cortisol levels decreased…I was feeling much much better.
I am very careful about watching violent and dark shows now. Sometimes, I’ll love the storyline so much that I just watch it - but 90% of the time, I choose media that is educational and uplifting. Not fear-based and anxiety provoking. Don’t event get me started on horror films oh my god….that even brings in dark spirits and we could get into shamanism (another time).
I hope that you are encouraged to take a closer look at what you are consuming on a daily basis. Update your Netflix que, edit your social media feed, turn off the news….you deserve to feel good and you are in the driver’s seat.
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